Seen at the Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival, No. 13, July 3, 2014 - Kevin Selfe himself performing with The Bone Pickers

Lots of Sunday evenings for over a year I've been at the Blue Diamond, my nearby neighborhood bar, enjoying the Sunday evening blues jam. Kevin Selfe and his band The Tornadoes host. It is a special treat to see him singing and playing at a different venue with other musicians, his talent and skill and love of music readily evident for every moment he's featured during The Bone Pickers' performance. They are a T-Bone Walker Tribute Band of great talent.

Here are some other candid shots of their performance. Sorry that I don't know their names.

Seen at the Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival, No. 5, July 3, 2014 - Back at the FedEx Crossroads Stage

Tevis Hodge, Jr. mesmerized the audience. Here's a bit I found about his background on the Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival's 2014 Web site: Born in Virginia, Tevis was exposed to the blues at an early age. He is inspired to keep true to the traditions and techniques of the musicians of the past for an authentic experience while at the same time accenting his own original flare and interpretations. His songwriting conjures the traditions of yesterday, giving his sound an authentic flow from his own material to blues standards. Tevis Hodge, Jr. is more than a re-creator of the old, he is a contributor to the new voice of the blues. Now living in the Portland, Oregon area, he has performed with a some of the Northwest's finest artists including folk giant Peter Yarrow, Joe McMurrian (winner of The Best Independent Blues Release), Suburban Slim (three time Muddy Award nominee) and Kevin Selfe (Muddy Award winner), to name a few.



I like the perspective of this close-up I got of his hands.



I moved around the seating area for a different view and got a couple of photos that I like--I think his face reflects his immersion in his music. Here's more info from the blues festival's Web site (some of it is repeated from the first copy and paste above): Southern native turned Northwest blues-man, Tevis Hodge, Jr. has been living a life steeped in blues since his first early years in the South. Deeply moved by the musical traditions of his African-American heritage, Tevis has found a home in the blues. At a young age, Tevis began to pursue the techniques of yesteryear. Now his mix of early and original tunes has created a personal sound that is unique and fresh. The result is true blues music in a modern age. He is not simply a re-creator of the old; he is a passionate and creative contributor to the new.



Which of these photos of Hodge do you like best? I 'm partial to the one at the top.



Remember when I said that the FedEx Crossroads Stage was the smallest, most intimate stage? Here you get an idea of the seating arrangements. I'm sitting on the bleachers parallel to those straight across the grass, beneath the welcome shade of some trees.

Degrees of separation, count them. Six. Yea!

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My connection to Thursday's Blues Music Awards in Memphis may seem tenuous. Nevertheless, I claim it, wholeheartedly as a lover of the blues. Here we go. Sunday, April 7, at the end of my most music-filled day in Portland (Portland Art Museum's Members Gospel Brunch, Patrick Lamb's matinee concert at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall), I stopped in at the Blue Diamond for the Kevin Selfe and the Tornadoes Blues Jam. More live music. Yea! What a good idea that turned out to be! Great music, and I got to take a few photos. I wish I knew everyone's names, but I don't, doggone it. UPDATE: Just found out that the musician on the far right is Allen Markel.

Fast forward to April 20 and the Concert for Sandy Relief at the Keller Auditorium. Curtis Salgado and his band opened for Aaron Neville. For me, that show could be put on one of those Ground-Hog-Day-repeats. My goodness, but that was fine, fine, fine. Stay with me, now. Thanks to being a Facebook friend of Kevin (on guitar on the left in these photos), I found out that Curtis Salgado had won the B. B. King Entertainer of the Year Award. So, there's my somewhat tenuous connection to the Blues Music Awards held in Memphos May 9. Salgado also won Soul Blues Album for "Soul Shot," and Soul Blues Male Artist.

Now, back to being at the Blue Diamond on April 7 and those few photos. When I finally got around to uploading them to Flickr today, lo and behold, there with Kevin Selfe on guitar and other musicians stood Curtis Salgado's guitar player! I recognized him from the April 20 concert--I had a front row seat practically right in front of him. Wow!
 

Me - Blue Diamond - Kevin Selfe - Vyasa Dodson - Curtis Salgado - Blues Music Awards!
 

In the middle, Vyasa Dodson, Curtis Salgado's guitar player. On the left, Kevin Selfe, a right fine musician. And I'm sorry that I don't know the saxophone player's name.